Improvement in key-fasteners



B. AN DREW S.

Key-Fasteners.

Patented .Iune16, 1874.

MM; Z

a N J H i w JAMES B. ANDREW'S,

PATENT CFFIGE.

OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN KEV-FASTENERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 152,658, dated June 16, L374; application tiled May 26, P74.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES B. ANDREWS, of New York city, in the county of New York, in the State of New York, have invented a new and useful Lock-Protector; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to improvements in means for holding the keys of doors securely in position when such doors have been locked from one side, and thereby prevent the keys from being turned to operate the looks from the opposite side of the door by nippers or other means, for the purpose of obtaining illicit entrance to chambers or apartments closed by such doors and locks; and my invention consists, first, in the construction of a key-holder composed of a plate with flanges for embracing the bow or handle of the key, such plate being hinged to another plate or escutcheon afiixed to the door, and adapted to swing up past the key-handle or bow while in one position, and interlock with the bow or handle when the key is differently adjusted; and, secondly, my invention consists in the .combination, with the key-holder, -having flanges for embracing the bow of the key and a stop-pin, of a key-holecover plate, as hereinafter more fully described.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to more fully explain the construction and operation of my key-holder, referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, in which I have illustrated the same as applied to a door provided with an ordinary lock and key.

Figure l is an elevation looking at the fixture from within the room, and showing the holder-plate in its normal position. Fig. 2 is a similar view, but showing the holder-plate as swung up or into the position to which it is brought, for the purpose of clamping or holding the key-handle to prevent it from turning. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, showing the plate in the position illustrated at Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a vertical section at the line x m, Fig. 2.

In the several figures the same part is designated by the same letter of reference.

A represents the inner plane or surface of the door, provided with an ordinary mortiselock; and B, the knob or handle of the lock. B is the key-hole in the escutcheon and O, the key of the lock. Formed with or applied to the lower end of the escutcheon is a halthinge portion, (1, to which is pivoted, by a horizontal pintle, a swinging plate, E, which, in its normal condition, depends from the plate, as shown at Fig. 1. This plate E is formed or provided with ribs or flanges f f, between which the handle of the key 0 is embraced, as will be presently described, (see Fig. 2,) and has a notch, or is cut away, as seen at g, for the accommodation of the shank or stem of the key. On the pintle or pivot of the hinge parts is arranged a coiled spring, m, in such a manner that the said spring exerts a tendency to throw and hold the plate E downward into the position shown at Fig. 1. I is a key-hole plate or cover, very similar to those now in use, but which is cut away at s, so that it can swing over the key-hole while the key is in the lock. t is a hole in the escutcheon H, and w is a curved lug projecting from the key-plate E, and adapted to fit in the hole t, as and for a purpose to be presently explained.

The operation of the parts already described will be understood to be as follows Supposing the door to have been locked, the handle of the key (J is adjusted to the position seen at Fig. 1, and the cover-plate I being over the key-hole, as shown in said figure. The plate E is then turned upward until its flanges ff pass clean by the handle of the key, when the latter is turned into the position shown at Fig. 2, the shank or stem of the key being new accommodated by the cut-out portion, at g, of said plate E. The flanges f f are now allowed to embrace the sides of the key-handle, as illustrated, and thereby any turning of the key is efl'ectually prevented. As the plate E is turned up into this position, its curved projecting lug or arm 20 passes into the hole t, to one side of the cover-plate I, and there remains until the plate E is swung downward to its normal condition. The pin 10, thus inserted in the hole it, forms an eflectual stop or look to the plate I, preventing it from being moved so long as the key-plate is up. hen it is desired to unlock the door the plate E is disengaged from the key and allowed to descend or spring down into the position shown at Fig. 1, and the key may then be turned by its handle, as usual.

In carrying out my invention the plate E, in lieu of being formed on, or as a part of, the inside escutoheon, may be applied separately to the door, or to the ordinary escutcheon, by the same screws which are sometimes used at the lower end of the latter.

Having so fully described my invention that any skilled person can make and use it, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A key-holder composed of a plate with flanges for embraeingthe bow or handle of the key, such plate being hinged to another plate affixed to the door, and adapted to vswing up past the key-handle or bow while 

